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About Gas Wells

Gas Drilling and Production in Mansfield

Mansfield is located at the eastern edge of the Barnett Shale, a large natural gas reserve. Like Fort Worth, Arlington, and other surrounding cities, Mansfield has attracted its share of drilling operations.

There are 57 drill site locations approved throughout the City to accommodate up to 512 natural gas wells. To date 206 wells have been drilled. These facilities, including drill sites, frac ponds and compressor stations occupy approximately 350 acres, or 1.5%, of the City's land area.

The Barnett Shale formation stretches underground across a 17-county area, including Tarrant, Johnson and Ellis Counties. It contains an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is located approximately 1.5 miles below the surface. In recent years, advances in drilling technology have made it possible for gas well operators to extract large amounts of natural gas from the shale. Drilling operations have provided positive economic benefits for Mansfield residents and property owners from the development of their mineral interests in the form of natural gas leases and royalties.

Yet the City also has to deal with potential negative impacts, such as noise, traffic, and lights. Through its gas well drilling and production ordinances, Mansfield has attempted to balance the sometimes competing interests of concerned residents, mineral rights owners, the natural gas industry, and state and local agencies.

The City recognized that drilling and production operations, with their related facilities, constitute a significant land use, requiring special consideration as to impact on surrounding properties. A drilling operator must obtain a Specific Use Permit (SUP) through the zoning process before establishing a gas well site in the City.

The first SUP in Mansfield was granted in 2005 for the Set/Back Partners Lease, originally consisting of four drill sites. This lease is located in the southwest sector of the City.

There are no drill sites on City property. However, the Mansfield Park Facilities Development Corporation has a drill site located on the Mansfield Sports Complex property in the eastern portion of the City. The Mansfield Economic Development Corporation also has a drill site on property owned by MEDC in the Heritage Industrial Park across from the Pier 1 warehouse.